Bitcoin Developer Warns NSA May Be Pushing “Quantum-Only” Cryptography Backdoor

Prominent Bitcoin developer Peter Todd has accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of attempting to “backdoor crypto again” through the introduction of so-called quantum-secure algorithms that could exclude traditional cryptographic safeguards.

“Tl;dr: the NSA is clearly looking to backdoor crypto again with the rollout of ‘quantum secure’ algorithms. The obvious way to implement them is AND: traditional AND quantum secure. So you need to break both. The NSA is trying to remove that seatbelt: quantum-only,” Todd posted on X.

His remarks followed a series of blog posts by cryptographer Daniel J. Bernstein (DJB) on October 4 and 5, warning that procedural shifts within the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) could lead to the standardization of “weakened cryptography.” Bernstein argued that a new moderation framework—outlined in “MODPOD: The collapse of IETF’s protections for dissent”—might silence critical feedback, including objections to removing hybrid cryptographic models that combine classical and post-quantum methods.

The debate centers on whether post-quantum cryptography (PQC) should transition via hybrid mechanisms—using both classical encryption (like ECDH) and PQ algorithms—or move directly to “quantum-only” systems. Hybrid models offer added protection by requiring attackers to compromise both components. The IETF formalized “hybr

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